One of the key overt physical differences that distinguish men from women, boys and girls is the presence of facial hair. Therefore growing a beard is a powerful sign of masculinity. Many countries and cultures have recently played down the value of traditional manliness, but having a beard is an easy way to show that you are proud to be a manly man. However, although growing a beard sounds easy, there are definite steps you can take to maximize your chances of having a healthy, stylish beard, and prevent the ‘patchy’ look. Here are some beard growth tips you can bear in mind.

10 Essential Beard Growing Tips You Shouldn't Miss

1

Prepare Your Body for Beard Growth

You can grow your beard much quicker by looking after yourself, getting plenty of sleep, eating a protein-rich diet to provide your beard with nutrients, and eliminating stress, a major factor in hair loss. In addition, for a thick, healthy beard, ensure you drink at least eight glasses of water daily.

Biotin supplements may improve hair quality and growth. The vitamins B6, C, and E found in biotin promote healthy skin and hair, reducing your risk of thin and uneven facial hair. However, you may also experience increased nail and body hair growth after taking these supplements.

2

Stick With It

When you decide you want a beard, remember that it won’t just appear overnight. Getting what you want takes time and patience. After a few days of not shaving, you will see significant growth. You may go through an itchy phase and be tempted to reach for the razor, but try to bear with it; the itching should ease after about a week.

Think about the type of facial hair you want. Research different shapes and styles, and the products you can buy for your beard to keep you occupied during the frustrating growth stage.

3

Keep the Area Moisturized

It’s really important to keep your beard well-maintained, so you need to moisturize the area at least once a day. What’s more, if you ever want to shave the beard off, you’ll be guaranteed healthy skin underneath. Many different types of product are available, but one of the best you can use is coconut oil. It provides your beard with essential nutrients, is completely natural, has a pleasant smell, and rinses off easily.

4

Keep Your Beard Clean

Maintaining a clean, fresh beard is easy. All you have to do is massage your usual face wash into your facial hair and rinse thoroughly to prevent excess soap building up in your beard. Finally, carefully pat your beard and use a towel to dry it. Be careful not to rub your beard dry, as this can irritate your skin.

5

Buy a Decent Trimmer

For a great-looking beard, you’ll have to regularly give it a trim. When buying a trimmer, look for one with a variety of different cutting lengths, and a detachable safety guard or pop-up definer to keep the hair surrounding your lips looking tidy. You need to make sure your facial hair is 100% dry before trimming. This is because hair expands when wet, making it look longer. If you do a wet trim, you may find yourself cutting off more than you wanted.

6

Prevent Itching

Moisturizing both your beard hair and the skin underneath will keep them soft and supple, but for extra help, try using a hair conditioner on your beard. You can also reduce itching by regularly brushing your facial hair with either a stiff-bristled hair/beard brush or a moustache comb to keep the hair from getting too curly and tangled. This will also promote even hair growth and prevent any ingrowing hair.

7

Dyeing Your Beard

If you would like to dye your facial hair, for example to cover up any grey whiskers, there are special beard and moustache dyes you can buy from larger pharmacists. These are formulated differently to other hair dyes because facial hair is usually thicker than the hair on your head. As long as you choose the right color, you should see a great result that looks natural. What’s more, beard dyes are easy to use and can hide grey hair in under five minutes.

8

Do Some "Manly" Exercises

To maximize your testosterone production, and hence your beard-growing abilities, practice full-body exercises, such as squats, push-ups and cardios. This will also help to develop good blood circulation to get a sufficient supply of nutrients to the hair and skin, invaluable for growing a beard. Trail running, sprinting, and outdoor circuit training are also good choices for cultivating your masculinity.

9

Get a Good Night’s Sleep

Hair grows best when you’re at rest; your body can use nutrients in your diet to promote cell division at the root of each hair strand, pushing the hair that has already formed outwards. Therefore one of the best beard growth tips is to get a decent night’s sleep, and you should see quicker growth plus healthier facial hair. Sleeping well also reduces stress levels, lowering the risk of hair loss.

10

Know When to Give Up

Unfortunately, there are many men out there who just can’t grow a decent beard. This is mainly due to genetic factors, so there’s not much you can do about it. If your facial remains patchy after two to three months’ growth, it’s probably time to throw in the towel. Get out your razor, shave it off, and rock the fresh-faced look.

For even more advice about how to grow a beard, watch the video below: